Ok, I''m making an rts and things are coming along just fine, except for a few problems I''m having on how to work the interface. Resource gathering is quite different in this game, in that resources will be quite rare, so it won''t just be a case of sending a harvester into a field and telling it to harvest. Also, rather than "owning" resources, you just put them in easy to access locations and guard them until you need them so the enemy could quite easily take these resources from you. Most units can carry these resources (there is only one type of resource, named "Green") and the resources can also be found in the ground and in objects. The only way of transporting the resources is by loading a unit with the resource and moving them to the destination where they can unload it. For simplicity, I am only allowing the resources to be taken from the ground, but not returned. So, going by the standard RTS control scheme (left click selects, right click does actions), I''m a bit stumped. If I have a unit carrying some green and the user selects them and right clicks an object which also has some green, it could mean three things, give green to object, take green from object or attack object. Now, I can narrow that down a bit (neutral objects can''t be attacked, neither can friendly objects, no one would give resources to their enemy), but there is still ambiguity. I tried having a control scheme with keyboard combinations (I think Alt toggled give or take), but this got confusing. So I''m asking for ideas... anything. Also, if you have any ideas for a cursor animation to show give or take which can be accomplished with programmer art, then speak up as well, while mine are adequate, they aren''t too clear (they are just a white circle turning green or a green circle turning white), it is hard to tell which is give and which is take. Trying is the first step towards failure.

Here''s some ideas:

- Left click on unit: select unit
- Left click on ground: Move
- Right click on ground: Pick up green if there
- Right click on friendly unit: Give green to unit
- Right click on enemy unit: Attack unit
- Right click on friendly building: Put green in there

(and overrides work in the SC way: click on icon, click on target.)
(BTW: C&C had left click = action, while right click could only mean deselection and SC had left-click = selection, right click could only do default action)
You have two (or three) mouse buttons; make sure one is used as often as the other.

Animation: Use differntly colored circles. When action = take, use a circle that comes from the ground (starts as a dot) and grows until out of screen, otherwise (action = drop) use a circle that comes from out of the screen and goes into a dot (towards the ground).
Or use an arrow pointing up for take and an arrow pointing down for drop. Maybe even both!

HTH

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Allow me to clear my head for once...
Stop polluting the air!

Here's my idea.

When you right click on another unit to take green, hold it, then a little menu pops up over the unit (keep reading! .) The left side is give the right is take. Slide the mouse to the corresponding side and let go. The menu dissapears and your unit does what you want it to.

Left Click = select, deselect unit
Right Click = pick up green, give green, take green, move, ect.

I think this is a good way to keep the interface simple, and a real sall menu wouldn't get in the way.

Hope that helps.


Edited by - RadGuy on November 29, 2001 3:56:17 PM

Edited by - RadGuy on November 29, 2001 4:08:49 PM

Do the menu with a default choice which does not involve clicking on anything, and extra choices which can be selected if necessary.